Lucasfilm Wants Thor: Ragnarok Director for a Star Wars Movie

1 year ago

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has said that she’d love to have Taika Waititi direct a Star Wars movie, leading many fans to wonder what that would look like. Unfortunately, Kennedy might not be aware that Waititi preemptively joked about turning down the Star Wars 9 job following the announcement that Colin Trevorrow would no longer be directing. The Thor: Ragnarok and Hunt for the Wilderpeople director has previously expressed doubt that he’d be the right fit for the Star Wars franchise, telling the New York Times, “There’s not much room (in the franchise) for someone like me.”

Kathleen Kennedy, who took over from George Lucas as the head of Lucasfilm when Disney bought the company in 2012, said she was a fan of Taika Waititi’s work after seeing Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok, which was released last month and has been a success for its off-the-wall comedy and super hero antics. While speaking to News Hub, Kennedy had this to say.

“I would love for him to direct a Star Wars movie. I think he has exactly the right sensibility.”

Kennedy then eagerly encouraged News Hub to “let him know”, and laughed “yeah” when asked if it was a genuine job offer. It seems like an odd choice, but it could very well end up happening. When Colin Trevorrow was let go from Episode IX, Taika Waititi’s name came up a few times and the director joked on social media that he likes to “finish his films,” regarding the previous firing of Phil Lord and Chris Miller from Solo: A Star Wars Story. But recently while promoting Ragnarok, the director said that he would be into the idea of working with Lucasfilm. Waititi said, “I’m not an idiot. Who would actually say no to Star Wars?” It appears as if this collaboration could actually come into fruition.

Taika Waititi’s distinct creative vision seemed to flow so well with Marvel and because of it, some have questioned whether or not he should make the jump from the Marvel cosmos to the Star Wars galaxy. Many hardcore fans were horrified that the upcoming tone of the standalone Han Solo was going to be humorous and have winced at the thought of some humor in The Last Jedi. But who knows, maybe Waititi wouldn’t use so much humor in the movie and surprise everybody.

The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson is currently working on his own Star Wars trilogy, which will introduce new characters as well as new planets and the he is unsure if he’ll direct all three of the upcoming movies. So, maybe Taika Waititi can slide right in and get into the Star Wars universe with a brand new set of characters with no preconceived notions. It seems like the most logical way to see the director working with Lucasfilm. You can read more about Kathleen Kennedy wanting to work with Taika Waititi courtesy of the New Zealand site News Hub.